Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1875 — Thinning Fruit. [ARTICLE]

Thinning Fruit.

Novices in fruit culture, as well as a large class who believe in allowing a tree ta injure itself by overbearing, never thin out the young fruit or thin overburdened trees; but the shrewd orchardist, who knows the road to success by experience, at this season carefully removes a portion of the smaller specimens, as well as some of large size, when thickly clustered together, and by this means actually increases the weight of his crop and makes it more valuable. The grower of foreign grapes, more than any other gardener, is

aware of the advantages to he derived from thinning out the branches; he knows well that they will outweigh those not thinned, and the berries will swell up to double the size of their neglected companions. And so it is with peaches and pears, with perhaps less need as a general rule. It does seem akin to sacrilege when we begin to destroy so many healthy young peaches, for instance; but we must bear in mind that if allowed to remain on the tree until maturity they will not be so healthy and the tree, unableto bear its burden, maybecome useless in the future. It cannot be impressed upon readers too strongly to commence now, and see that none of their fruit trees are in a condition to injure both their crop of fruit and themselves by too heavy a task. Relieve them of a portion, for it appeals strongly to your pockets.— Josiah Hoopes, in H. T. Tribune.